Go Stones and Symphonies
by Maven Fair
Summary: Brilliant symphonies resounded around the auditorium, earning enthusiastic applause from the audience. Among the audience, a young boy with black hair looked at the violin player's in awe, apparently too engrossed to pay his grandparent any mind. A young violinist caught his eye, and smiled at him gently. Music!AU but with Go too. Canon compliant. Probably not romance but who knows
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so recently I've rekindled my love for Hikaru no Go! Back when I had first watched it, I was still an innocent young thing with no knowledge of what "fan fiction" was. Anyway, I don't know why, but I always find the need to read a music!AU. Although in this one, Hikaru will be the only person who was originally from the story who plays an instrument. I'm gonna try and keep the Go playing to music playing 3:1, although I do enjoy myself a good violin solo. And I also don't have a beta, but I do try my best at editing. Anyway, on with the show!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go.**

Chapter one: The sound that started it

Brilliant symphonies resounded around the auditorium, earning enthusiastic applause from the audience. Among the audience, a young boy with black hair looked at the violin player's in awe, apparently too engrossed to pay his grandparent any mind. A young violinist caught his eye, and smiled at him gently. The boy grinned back, and the violinist turned toward conductor. The orchestra began once again, enrapturing the crowd once again. The song* began slowly, with the strings tentatively playing. It sooned gained a bit of momentum, trumpets beginning to play in the background. And then it fell back, with the woodwinds taking the lead. Clarinets sang, and soon a tuba began to play. The harmonies engulfed everyone, one boy in particular. His emerald eyes shone with new hope, hope only a child could have.

The concert had ended too soon, and there were shouts of "encore, encore!", but the conductor had said that they would be packing up. The young boy's grandfather pulled him along, saying that they could come another time. He grinned; he hadn't expected such a rowdy child to like classical music so much. While he had hoped for his only grandson to take a liking to Go, he was still happy that they had at least one thing in common. "Come on, Hikaru. If we don't hurry, your mother will have made dinner for nothing."

"Grandpa…"

"Yes, Hikaru?" He smiled down at him.

"I want to play the violin."

Shindo Hikaru was regretting everything thing that he had ever complained about. True to his word, he started to play the violin. Unfortunately, he found himself being frustrated out of his mind, even resorting to occasionally refuse to play. Although after about five minutes he would feel regret and head back to his teacher, apologize, and start the lesson.

It was soon evident to the violin instructor that her pupil was most definitely not any ordinary kid. When she had first agreed to tutor him, she had her suspicions. After all, bleached bangs? To top it all off, he seemed like an active child, preferring to be out playing soccer rather than practicing the violin. But as their lessons progressed, and the music got harder, Mrs. Nanase could proudly state that this child was a prodigy.

It had been nearly four years since Shindo Hikaru had started to play the violin. He was making tremendous progress, according to his teacher. He could now play intricate pieces, and his parents had the gall to call him a child prodigy. His grandfather had made it a tradition to take him to a local concert at least once a month, if not twice. Shindo Heihachi had been to had been the one to encourage Hikaru's lesson's, saying that it was good for the boy. Hikaru was grateful to his grandfather, although he could do without the constant "do you want to learn Go?". He was going to start 6th grade soon enough, and was determined to do well.

"Hikaru!" His grandfather yelled, interrupting his sight-reading. The piece was harder than what he was used to, but he was sure he could play it.

"Yes?"

"I need you to go get something from the attic! I think I left a bowl of Go stones up there."

"Okay, I'll go get them." He set down the paper, deciding he could work on it later. He made his way towards the steps leading to the attic. Dust covered nearly everything, but Hikaru didn't mind it too much. He looked for anything that had something to do with Go. A wooden board sat in the corner, with red stains. Hikaru carefully dusted it off, and observed the thin lines. He couldn't quite put his hand on it, but something was wrong. Hikaru gasped, and stumbled backwards, hitting the back wall. Red stains...blood stains?! Would something like that be in his grandpa's attic? ' _Can you hear my voice? You can hear my voice, can't you?'_

"Who is it?" He attempted to sound scary but, unfortunately, his high pitched voice gave his fear away.

' _I found someone! I finally found someone!"_ Hikaru had begun to tremble by now.

"Is that you grandpa? Stop joking around!"

' _The gods before me, I thank you. I… I… '_ Hikaru gasped. The Go board had begun to glow. ' _I will now, once again… return to the living world."_ Hikaru screamed, and then everything went black.

Being in a hospital was not all it's cracked up to be. In fact, it's extremely boring. Luckily for Hikaru, he had the friendly neighbourhood ghost to accompany him. While shocked at first (who wouldn't be, seeing as he was now apparently being haunted by a Heian ghost), Hikaru had found it quite a thrilling experience. He was usually stuck at home with nothing to do, so having a new face around was pleasant. He said his name was Fujiwara no Sai, and that in his lifetime he was the Go tutor to the emperor. He carried himself with with precision and grace; two things Hikaru himself lacked. Long locks of black hair shaped his face, and Hikaru had an awkward conversation in the beginning regarding what gender the ghost was. But Sai's stories of the past fascinated Hikaru immensely, making the long hours in the hospital somewhat bearable. Although Sai has the uncanny ability to remind him of himself; like the way that Sai sometimes whined like a little kid. _Hey, Sai…_

' _Yes, Hikaru?'_

 _You said you played Go, right?_

' _Yes, I did play Go.'_ Sai didn't know what Hikaru wanted to know.

 _Would you like to play again?_

' _Oh yes, Hikaru, I would! Go was my life.'_ Which was and understatement in so many ways; Go wasn't only his life, it was what had kept him on the Earth for a thousand years. Sai just didn't know how to convey his love to someone so young, someone who didn't seem to have the same passion for something like he did.

 _If you promise that it won't get in the way of my violin practice, plus school, I think my parents will let me start playing with my grandpa._

' _Really Hikaru!"_

 _Yup. Would I lie to you?_ Sai didn't want to answer that.

Hikaru stared up at the sign labeled "Touya's Go Salon". Sai had whined for days about wanting to play Go, making his hospital stay feel like an eternity. Although he was reduced to silence when Hikaru was playing the violin, saying that he looked and sounded beautiful. Sighing to himself, Hikaru slid open the bamboo door. He was greeted by a young woman behind a desk. She had strawberry blonde hair, and her smile was soft and polite. Hikaru observed the players around him, who were mostly old men. "Is this your first time here?"

The lady had a pleasant voice, light and cheerful, much like his own. "Yeah, it is."

"Have you played before?"

"Then, why don't you write your name here? You'll also need to write down your rank." She handed him a pen and clipboard.

"Rank?" Sai hadn't said anything about ranks.

' _That's because they weren't around when I was alive.'_

"It's how strong you are."

"Er, is it alright if I don't put anything?" While Sai said he was strong, Hikaru didn't know anything about ranks.

"Of course! Is this your first time playing?" Hikaru nodded. Right then, he spotted a young boy sitting alone at a table.

"Hey! Is that kid free?" The boy looked up at him, briefly making eye contact.

The boy was now walking over to them, with a faint smile on his face. He had dark brown hair, although in the lighting it looked more like green. But what struck Hikaru was his eyes; they were green like his, although they appeared more aqua. "Are you looking for someone to play? If so, I can play you."

' _Hikaru… this boy doesn't seem normal…'_

 _How so?_

' _I can sense great potential from him. Oh, Hikaru, let's play him!'_

"Ah! Akira-kun! You might not want to he's…" But the boy, Akira, put up his hand. He beckoned for Hikaru to follow him. "Wait! He still needs to pay the children's fee…"

"Oh, right, sorry…" Hikaru shuffled through his pockets for his wallet. "How much is it?"

"500 yen." He handed her the money and headed toward to where Akira was waiting. He awkwardly sat down in the chair, and looked down at the goban.

"My name's Touya Akira."

"I'm Shindo Hikaru; 6th grade." _Same age…_ thought Touya.

"How much of a handicap do you want? Four or five stones?"

' _A handicap?! Against me? Pfft, I haven't needed a handicap in more than a thousand years! Hikaru, ask for an even game.'_

"Uh, can we play an even game?" Touya looked mildly surprised; he hadn't played an even game with someone his age in around five years. But he nodded his head nonetheless; better not crush his dreams and play shidougo with the other boy, Shindo. They then did nigiri, and Hikaru won black. Sai could hardly contain his excitement; he hadn't played in so long that it brought tears to his eyes.

 _Um, Sai? Are you really that happy?_

' _Yes. Yes I am Hikaru. Now, let us start. 17, 4 Upper Right-komoku!'_

It was around halfway through the game until Akira had noticed that the boy in front of him had been playing shidougo with him. And it was around the end of yose that Akira noticed that he was not going to win this game. He was close to resigning, but had decided against it. After all, he might have just estimated wrong. How could a random kid from the streets beat him like it was nothing? But once they had counted up their territory, Akira had found out that he had, indeed, lost by 2 moku… "Well, I better be going! Bye, then!" And with that, the blond banged boy fled from their game on the goban.

"Did you finish your game?" The lady at the counter asked him.

"Yeah, looks like I'm not quite ready for a game yet…" Not quite ready? He just defeated Touya Akira, Go prodigy, son of the Meijin, and he says he's not ready?! Akira stopped listening to their conversation, and stared back down at the board. 2 moku. If you added komi, Akira had won, but that didn't matter to him. What mattered was that he had been beaten by a no-name kid who seemed like he had taken a wrong turn after a soccer game. A no-name kid who had undoubtedly beaten him by 2 moku without a second thought...

 **Okay, I do have more of the story, but I don't have enough for a full chapter. It also doesn't help that I totally forgot about the Children's Go Tournament. Anyway, hope you enjoyed! Please comment and review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**This story is no longer canon compliant ;-; and I do not own Hikaru no Go, only Hikaru's violin playing skills.**

Chapter two: The boy who sought a rival

Touya Akira is what most would call a prodigy. He had grown up with a game basically thrust upon him (not that he minded. He really did love Go, but would have preferred to discover it on his own.) He had always been surrounded by adults, and rarely ever conversed with someone within a six year range. His classmates didn't count; he only talked to them if needed. Akira didn't have any friends, to say it bluntly. His mature indifference didn't help with his case. So when a boy with bleached blond bangs came into his father's salon, he had immediately jumped at the opportunity to play someone his age. Akira didn't know how to react when he discovered that the boy wasn't normal. At all. He had even managed to play shidougo with Akira without him noticing until halfway through the game.

Akira looked back down at the game. He had been staring at it for days now. It was obvious that black was playing without taking komi into consideration. And black's fuseki was popular… One hundred years ago. It was like playing someone who lived in another era. It was like playing Shuusaku Honinbo, except he was playing a boy who happened to stumble upon a Go salon. A boy who was a genius.

Touya Akiko was beginning to worry. Her only child, Akira, was never the social type. He preferred to stay inside and read a good book rather than hang out with his peers. But that wasn't what was troubling her, oh no. Her current worry was the fact that Akira hadn't responded when she called him down for dinner. She began to fret even more when she found out that he had been staring a game on a goban. When she inquired about the game, Akira had brushed her off politely, which was something she was not used to. By now, it had been around three weeks since that game occurred, according to Ms. Ichikawa. But Akira hadn't played a new game since. So she tried not to sound pushy and annoying, and suggested that he go out to their Go salon tomorrow. He almost immediately perked up, saying something about how he might show up. So, to sum it up, Touya Akiko was a mom who seriously needed some rest and relaxation.

Shindo Hikaru was beginning to become somewhat of well-known icon in the music community. He was nowhere near that of a genius, but his talent was something to watch. His teacher soon began to schedule more and more concerts, leaving almost no time for Sai and Go. His crowds began to increase, making him stressed out of his mind. But when his tutor gave him a Saturday off, Sai had jumped at the opportunity. ' _Hey, hey, Hikaru!'_

 _Yeah, Sai?_ While HIkaru was a patient child, he was beginning to become more and more aggravated by the ghost's nagging.

' _Since you have today off, why don't we stop by that Children's Go Tournament the lady told us about?'_ Should he? After all, this was _his_ day off. At least if they went he could get away from the noisy complaints.

 _Sure, Sai. But we won't be staying too long._

Hikaru weaved his way through the crowd of adults. When he had agreed to go to the tournament, he hadn't expected the oppressive atmosphere. So many children, all with a gleam in their eyes. A gleam to win. While Hikaru could see why people enjoyed Go, after all, Sai was constantly saying how wonderful the game was. However, he himself couldn't find the act of putting down stones on a board appealing. But to see so many people devoted to a game, some of which were younger than himself, was awe-inspiring. It was like watching a child orchestra, except the instruments were the Go stones. Sai was even more excited than Hikaru. ' _Hikaru! Hikaru! Look! So many children playing Go, this place really is amazing!'_

 _Yeah… It is._

' _Hey, Hikaru, let's look at that game!'_ Sai enthusiastically waved at a nearby game. He glanced over at the board. Black's cluster was in major danger of dying. He looked at the kid playing black; it was his turn. While he doubted he noticed, there was a way that in one move could save black. ' _Hikaru, that kid needs to go to 1,3 in order to survive.'_

 _I know, Sai._ Unfortunately, the boy went at 1,2. He sighed, and turned away from the game.

"If only he had gone one point higher…" All of a sudden, a hand grabbed him. He turned around, startled at the sudden touch.

"What do you mean, boy?" A man, around twenty-seven, gripped at his shoulder sharply. His eyes were covered with sunglass. Paired with his white suit, it made him look like a member of the yakuza. Hikaru could almost hear his heart beating in his ear. His other hand looked ready to move into action if needed. He gulped.

"N-nothing!" He squeaked in all the manliness and dignity that he could manage. The man didn't loosen his grip, but rather forcefully pulled him toward a hallway. Sensing trouble, Hikaru started to squirm, looking in possible places to run away. He was cornered.

' _Hikaru! Hikaru! I don't like this man! Run away! Run away!'_

 _I'm trying Sai! But he's a grown man! And I'm not very strong!_ The scary man led him into a room where other adults were. He loosened his iron grip, and Hikaru immediately shoved him away. People in the room were staring at him, and he could feel their eyes bore into him. He attempted to slide away, but a new hand stopped him from doing so.

"Ogata-sensei, why did you bring this boy to our discussion." That's when Hikaru noticed the game on the board. Everyone was gathered around it, and the game seemed of very high caliber.

"While I was looking around the tournament, this boy was watching one of the games. He merely glanced at the board before turning around and muttering an interesting move." By now, all the attention was focussed only on him. Any discussion of the game was stopped. Sai looked anxiously at Hikaru. Hikaru looked back at him, and started toward the door.

"Uh, I'm sorry if I've interrupted the game, but I ought to be going…" He fumbled with the doorknob, and sprinted out of the room. His mind was filled with one thought; run. Then it happened in a second. One moment he was running, the next he was sprawled on the ground. A man in a traditional yukata stood above him. His face was stern and unyielding. Hikaru quickly stood back up, and brushed the non existent dust off of his shorts. "Sorry!" And with that, he took off toward the exit.

"What an interesting boy…" The man murmured.

"Akira-kun. Hirose-san is here to play a game of shidougo with you." Ms. Ichikawa said, bringing Akira to look back from the goban. He was still hung up on that game. Shindo Hikaru… There weren't any records of him at any ametuer Go tournaments. Perhaps he was like himself, preferring to not participate in ametuer events in case he discouraged fellow players. "Are you still looking for that boy?" Ms. Ichikawa appeared again, this time without a person following her.

"Yes… Are you sure he didn't say anything at all? His school perhaps?"

"Well, um… Oh! I game him a flier about this Children's Go Tournament. He didn't really seem interested when I showed it to him, but he might be there. Actually, if I recall correctly, that was today." Donning the look of someone determined, Akira gathered up his coat.

"Ms. Ichikawa, where is that Go Tournament being held?" Akira was now scrambling to shove his possessions back inside his bag.

"I think it was at…" And with that, Akira took off, with a hurried goodbye.

Akira huffed, just barely amking it into the train. His mind raced with only one thought; Shindo Hikaru. He didn't know what he was thinking. Not even seasoned pros had managed to get him this fired up. What was so different with this kid? Then again, he himself was a kid. But there game had been a rude awakening. A person his age was just as skilled at Go-no, better than him at Go. He constantly found himself subconsciously thinking about their game, about Shindo's peculiar moves, his outdated fuseki, and his hands that didn't have any relevance. Had he really been playing a teaching game with him? And did he really not recognize Akira?

The train halted to a stop, bringing Akira out of his thoughts. He sprinted off, muttering short apologies to people he ran into. He made it out of the train station, and looked around anxiously. People gave him strange looks, probably fixated on the fact that he looked utterly disheveled. His eyes landed on blond hair that stood out in the crowd. Akira ran towards them, pushing people away. "Shindo-san! Shindo-san!" He hollered, hoping that his timid voice managed to make it's way to his ears.

"Touya?" Finally! Shindo had turned around, a look of mild surprise plastered on his face. "What're you doing here? Were you in the tournament?"

"Ah, no, I wasn't." He said, suddenly aware of his lack of manners. He fidgeted nervously. "Were you?" Now that he had finally found Shindo, Akira didn't know what to say.

"Me?" Shindo laughed. "In a tournament? Please, I'm not good enough!"

' _No,'_ Thought Akira. ' _You're too good.'_

"Although, looking at all of those kids, some of them younger than me, so serious about a game, I was impressed." So serious about a game?

"You…" Akita said, anger lining his words. "You bastard!"

Shindo looked appalled at being so suddenly accused. If Akira hadn't been so enraged, he might have laughed. "Wh-what?"

"Have you never been serious about anything in your life? Those are kids who have dedicated time and effort into this game, all with the intent to become a pro!"

"A pro?"

"Let me see your hand." Shindo looked hesitant, but held out his hand all the same. He hands were smooth and soft, and his nails were unkempt. A clear sign that he wasn't a serious Go player.

"Let's play a game."

"Uh, right now?"

"Yes, right now!" He seemed to debate to himself, and then nodded numbly. Akira began to drag him where his father's Go salon was. Rain had just began to pour, but Akira didn't slow. He led them onto a train, game strategies running through his head.

"We'll be in the back." Akira held his head high as he navigated his way through the chairs and tables.

"Is that…"

"It is! The kid from before!" People clambered to get out of their seats, games long forgotten. Akira led them to a goban in the back, the same one that they had played on last time. By then, quite a crowd had gathered.

"Please sit down." And so, Hikaru sat. "Nigiri." Hikaru chose even, and so he got black. "The komi is five and a half."

"Komi?"

"It's a handicap on black. If a game ends 50-50, then white wins by five and a half moku."

 _Sai, how come you never mentioned this._

' _In my time, komi did not exist.'_

 _So you never thought black had an advantage?_

 _I have never lost while playing black, if that is what you mean._

"Then…Please lead the way."

"Oh! Uh, please lead the way."

 _Sai, where?_

' _Upper-Right, Kosumi!'_

Akira stared intently at the board for many minutes, until finally placing a white stone. Sai immediately responded. The game went like this for hours, Sai taking no time at all to counter, and Akira taking extremely long. But near the end of Chuugen, Akira had found it fit to stop. "I…I resign." Tears pooled in his eyes, unshed but filled with emotion. He was so used to winning, so used to being _good_ , that it had never occurred to him that someone could be better. That someone was better.

"Ah! Um, you're really amazing Touya!" Amazing? Psh, says the guy who beat me with absolutely no fuss. "You were so serious! The kids at the tournament were good, but you…" He seemed to notice that Akira wasn't taking in a word he said. Dejectedly, Shinzo made his was out of their salon, leaving behind a crying Touya, and a bewildered crowd.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey my friends! I'm so sorry about not updating, and now there's not even a thousand words in this chapter. I feel soooo bad ;.; I understand your guys' anger! My finals just finished up about two weeks ago, and before that my friend was in the hospital... It's been a stressful few months. But good news; school's out for me! That means more updates.**

 **See the end for my plans on the next few chapters.**

Chapter three: What's a… cultural festival?

Hikaru Shindou was many things. Talented, cute (self-proclaimed. No actual proof.) and sporty. But Sai soon realized that if there is one thing he isn't, it would be cooperative. If Sai wanted to play Go, then he'd have to wait for Hikaru to finish up his violin rehearsal. And then he'd have to wait for them to get to a Go salon, and even then Hikaru's mother was pestering Hikaru that it wasn't healthy for a 12 year old boy to hang out with a bunch of old men. It wasn't Sai's fault that Go was appreciated by the older generation of people. In his opinion, everyone should like Go. "Hikaruuuuu! When will your rehearsal be done? Isn't the recital a long ways away?" Shindou sighed exasperatedly at the ghost.

"It's in a month, and I still haven't got the twenty ninth measure down. The key changes unexpectedly, and I always forget. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't be putting away my violin yet," Sai huffed indignantly, "and I wouldn't have to explain to my violin instructor why I'm not practicing as much."

"Go takes time and effort to master. It's good to get into new things once in awhile." Hikaru rolled his eyes. As he closed the final clasp on his violin case, he suddenly remembered something.

"Anyway, since you insisted on leaving, we can go to the cultural festival at Haze. They said I should check them out since they offered me a scholarship." Sai blinked, confusion etched on his face.

"What's a… cultural festival?" Hikaru turned his head toward Sai, feigning offence.

"You don't know what a cultural festival is? For shame." Hikaru said with a straight face. "You'll just have to wait and find out."

"Hikaruuuuuu."

Hikaru stepped into the crowd of people outside of Haze Junior High. The Heian ghost trailing him was exuberantly pointing out everything in the area, falling on only one person's ears. Hikaru attempted to ignore him, trying to immerse himself in all the activities. After waiting at the gate of the school, he soon realized that Akari had bailed on him. Luckily he still had money on him (for the times when Sai all of a sudden sees a random Go salon) so he went to buy takoyaki from the Home Economics Club. "Is this what a cultural festival is about?" Sai asked, floating above Hikaru's head.

"Oh! There's a Light Music Club." Hikaru said, ignoring Sai's inquiry. He went over to a big table filled with pamphlets. "Hi! My name's Shindou Hikaru." He said to a nerdy looking brunette.

"Why hello Shindou-kun. My name's Ongaku Keiki. I'm the president of the Light Music Club."

Ongaku looked at the 6th grader. His eyes widened comically. "Y-you're Shindou Hikaru."

"Uh, yeah, I said that."

"No, I mean, you're _the_ Shindou Hikaru. The prodigy." Ongaku struggled to stand up and greet him. "You're basically famous in the music community." The brunette took his hand in his own. "You should consider joining our club! We could use you. I mean, we usually just sit around and talk, and most people are here because they needed to pick a club, but-" Hikaru cut him off.

"I'm sorry, but I was planning on joining the Go Club if there is one." Ongaku blinked in surprise at his words, then sneered.

"The Go Club only has one member. They probably will disband next year if there isn't enough members, so you should just join our club." Ongaku said. He had started to rummage through something underneath the table. He pulled out a magazine titled 'New Japanese Prodigy Takes Japan By Storm'. On the front cover featured Hikaru in a state of concentration looking at a music sheet. "As I said, you're basically famous, so you'll lure more members in!" Hikaru realized that their hands were still intertwined and quickly untangled them.

"Look, I'd love to and all, but I'm really set out on joining that Go Club. If they have as stand could you show me where it is?" Ongaku muttered something along the lines of "so close" and "next time", but gestured towards a small table near the back of the festival. A single boy sat alone behind a table, talking to a middle-aged man.

"Look Hikaru! That sign says Go Club! Ooh Hikaru let's check it out!" Sai whined, dragging Hikaru towards the small stand.

On the table stood a 19x19 goban, barely small enough to fit. Besides the table stood a sign labeled "Go Club: Answer tsumegos* to win a prize." The sign said the grand prize was a book written by Touya Meijin. "Who's Touya Meijin?" Hikaru said aloud, making the two people beside him look at him weirdly.

"He's the strongest Japanese Go player currently." The boy said, waving goodbye to the man who had just gotten up. "Are you interested in Go?" Hikaru shrugged as Sai nodded enthusiastically. Unfortunately, no one but Hikaru saw him.

"I play a little here and there." The boy's eyes widened.

"Oh? Would you like to try one of the tsumegos?" Hikaru nodded in response and sat down at the table. "By the way, my name's Tsutsui Kimihiro."

"Shindou Hikaru." Tsutsui began placing down the simple problem. "Please choose the next move. Black's turn." Without needing Sai's help, Hikaru easily placed down the black stone.

"Nice job. Here's the next one." Before Tsutsui could place the formation down however, Hikaru stopped him.

"Can you give me the hardest problem in the book?" Tsutsui looked utterly shocked at his statement, one would have thought he was just told his mother died.

"You'd have to be at Touya Akira's level to be able to solve this." Hikaru's eyebrows perked up.

"Touya Akira? I've played him before." Tsutsui laughed at what Hikaru had said, and placed down the final stone. "What? I've really played him. He wasn't that great."

"Are you kidding me? Touya is the most anticipated upcoming Go player in Japan! He's the son of the current Meijin and on par with some dan level pros! I wish I was that good…anyway, you need to place the next three moves. Black's turn."

'The next three, huh...Sai, you do this one.' Sai told Hikaru which places to set the stones down on with his white fan. Without hesitation Hikaru set two blacks and a white stone down on the board, to Tsutsui's astonishment. Tsutsui flicked his eyes over to the book of tsumegos.

"Oh, wow, you actually solved it. Um, here, the grand prize…" Tsutsui pulled out the grand prize, the book written by Touya Meijin. Hikaru stood to leave, but then Tsutsui grabbed his arm. "Wait! If you come here next year, you should join our Go Club." Hikaru smiled, but started towards the entrance.

"Sorry, but I'm actually not going to go here. I'm going to Kaiou Junior High since they offered me a scholarship, but I'd love to play you some time!" Tsutsui tried to say something, but Hikaru was already heading towards the entrance of the festival.

Touya Akira stood outside of Kaiou Junior High with a very confused Shindou Hikaru's hand in his own. Hikaru had just been strolling around the streets of Tokyo when Touya suddenly grabbed his arm (this seemed to happen a lot. At least this time it didn't cause a ruckus.) "Should I just assume that every time I'm walking on a sidewalk in Tokyo that you'll come up and abduct me somewhere?" Touya looked bewildered.

"What? No! I just-I heard you're going to Kaiou next year."

"Oh! Are you going there too?" Akira nodded and began dragging Hikaru somewhere. "Uh… where are you taking me?"

"To Kaiou. There's a Junior High Go tournament happening there and I want you to go with me." Hikaru smirked mischievously for someone who was currently being led around Tokyo by a 6th grader.

"Oho? So I'm your date?" Touya sputtered indignantly at his words. "I'm kidding! But really, why do I need to go with you?" Touya began blushing.

"Uh… father said I should invite you…"

"Your father? Isn't he the Meijin?" Touya nodded.

"Yeah."

"Woah, that's so cool. Your house must be loaded." Touya rolled his eyes at him.

"Ah. Here's Kaiou." Kaiou Junior High was just as big and grand as their high school. That is to say, it's really big and really grand. Hikaru's mother had immediately accepted the scholarship even before Hikaru had even heard a peep about it. They were one of the most renowned schools in Tokyo, and all their students needed amazing grades to get in. Hikaru's grades were questionable, but they had overlooked that in exchange for his musical skills. He was required to join their band, but that didn't really matter since he was excused when he had a recital. Or rehearsal. "We should hurry, I think they're already at the final round." And so Touya led Hikaru into Kaiou's front door.

 **A/N: Hey! Thanks for reading to the end of the chapter! I was planning on Touya and Hikaru becoming these really respected people who are kinda thought of as "idols" or looked up to. I love the au's where Hikaru goes to Kaiou, they're interesting to read. Fun fact, I recently bought a goban, so I have started learning Go! It's really interesting, and I'm glad that Hikaru no Go got me into it! I have a lot of plans for this fanfics next chapters ;D. Anyway, I hope you like this!**

 ***tsumegos - Pre-made Go problems made generally for practicing of decision making in Go.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Me, update twice in one day? Unheard of! Lol, but hope you guys enjoy. Btw, if you hadn't noticed, Hikaru's low-key flirting with Akira. They'll probs get together later in the story, but not right now, they're only in 6th grade after all.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go!**

Chapter four: You called me Hikaru!

Kaiou was a very prestigious school. Not only did they invest as much money as possible in all of their clubs, they actually paid for transportation and snacks. To put it simply, it was a little over the top with just a sprinkle of rich kids. Or at least that's what Hikaru thought of it. In Touya's opinion, it was a great honour to attend Kaiou. He had gotten offered a scholarship for his Go playing and had immediately accepted. They had then asked if he would like to watch the Junior High's Go Club in the next tournament, and his father had agreed for him, saying it was "an opportunity for friendships", which didn't make sense to Touya. And then his father suggested he bring a friend with him. For some odd reason, Hikaru came to mind first. And so he set out to find Hikaru in Tokyo. He hadn't realized how hard that could be, but luckily, he had spotted Hikaru's bleached blond bangs in the crowd and proceeded to drag him towards Kaiou. "Ah. Here's Kaiou. We should hurry, I think they're already at the final round." Hikaru sighed.

"Do I really have to come with you?" Touya looked surprised.

"Well, I suppose you don't, but aren't you interested in our Go Club…?" After, wasn't his scholarship for Go too?

"Uh, I guess, since I'll probably end up joining them. But I don't get the big deal about...all these tournaments." Hikaru shrugged. "But you know, to one his own, I guess. Or at least that's what my mom says."

"You're gonna join them though, right? I mean you have to." Touya said confusedly. The one requirement of his scholarship was that he had to join the Go Club. Wasn't Hikaru's the same?

"Yeah, yeah, sure. So, where's this Go tournament?" Touya and Hikaru looked around for an adult who looked like they knew what they were doing. "Ah, excuse me! You! With the glasses!" A mediocre looking person looked behind them and then pointed at herself. "You, you!" The woman started towards them.

'Don't be so rude, Hikaru!' Sai exclaimed.

"Do you need anything?" She asked politely, a gentle smile on her patient lips.

"Oh, yes, could you tell me and my… friend where the Go tournament is being held?" Touya answered before Hikaru could be any ruder.

"Oh, yes, I believe it's right over there in the Go Club's room. You can't miss it." Touya thanked her politely and led Hikaru towards the room. Touya observed Hikaru's body language. Not only was he unusually stiff and silent, but he was looking around at everything around them, as though to try and soak up everything.

"Uh, is everything alright, Hikaru-san…?" Hikaru perked up at his words.

"You called me Hikaru! Well, you added the -san, but still!" Touya looked away embarrassedly at his words and muttered an apology. "Ah, no need to look so embarrassed! I think it's cute!" Touya blushed even more at his words.

"Oh look, here's the room." Diverting away from the topic of what he called Hikaru, Touya entered the room. A professional looking man greeted them asked what they were doing in there. "We were invited by the principle to watch Kaiou's Go Club in the tournament. Is this the right room?" The man looked sceptical.

"Yes, this is. May I ask who you are?" Touya gestured for Hikaru to stand next to him.

"My name's Touya Akira and this is-" The man interrupted him.

"You're _the_ Touya Akira! Oh, pardon me. My name is Mr. Yun, I'm the Go Club's instructor at Kaiou." Touya shook his hand.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you. Is Kaiou playing?" The three made their way towards the crowd of people. Everyone seemed to split as they saw Mr. Yun approach.

"Yes, they are actually half-way through the game. I hope you find their game's suitable to you. We only choose the best to compete in competitions." Both Touya and Hikaru frowned at his words.

The game's weren't bad, but they weren't good either. It was an obvious difference in skill between Kaiou and the other school. The first board was being slaughtered, second board wasn't too bad, and third board was already finished. It was startlingly hard to watch, and all of Kaiou seemed to be very smug about it. "This is very… one-sided." Hikaru and Sai nodded in agreement.

'They're not bad, but they're too aggressive… if they focussed on protecting their territory more the games wouldn't have progressed into yose*.' Sai said, hanging over the goban*.

They watched until the end of the last match. They met Kaiou's three club members in a rush of "hello"s. "Mr. Yun, unfortunately, Akira and I have something to attend to. Right, Akira?" Hikaru smiled at Akira as though to say "you better agree with me". Quickly excusing themselves, Akira led Hikaru outside.

"Since we had to leave so soon, you have to play a game against me." Hikaru blanched at him.

"I wanted to leave so I could go practice!"

"Then you can practice with me!"

"But-"

"You won't have to pay the fee! I'll say you're my guest, which you kind of are." Touya waved a cab over and told him the address.

"Doesn't this mean you're abducting me to _two_ different places." Touya rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, sure."

"So you admit it!" Hikaru yelled triumphantly. The cab driver looked at them funnily but didn't say anything. The rest of the car ride was in silence, broken by the occasional honk of a car. Once they reached the Go salon, Touya payed the driver (when did he not have money on him?) and dragged Hikaru into the salon.

"If you'd gone here then you might've had a chance at winning."

"But then wouldn't you have gone here?"

"Nah, this move makes more sense, see…" Hikaru started moving the pieces on the goban around.

"But what about if I had gone here?" Touya said.

"I would have gone here." Touya's eyebrows widened. He went silent for a few moments, then said,

"Do you have any plans to become a Go pro? Any serious ones?" He muttered, looking up at his face.

"Not really. I'm more occupied with school work and my other… hobby." Hikaru was too afraid to mention how he played the violins. People at school tended to make fun of him when he mentioned it. Then again, this was Touya Akira, renown _Go_ prodigy, but still…

"You should. I'll be taking the test next year, and I think you should too." Hikaru shook his head as the ghost haunting him nodded his enthusiastically.

"I'm sorry, but I can't." Hikaru looked at the clock. "Crap! I've gotta get home. Anyway, nice game Touya. Or can I finally call you Akira?" Akira looked surprised but nodded anyway. Hikaru headed towards the entrance, waved goodbye to Ishikawa-san, and left the Go salon.

'Oh, Hikaru, you should become a pro! We could play Go all day long!' Hikaru sighed as he headed towards the train station.

'I can't. At least not until I master violin. At that will take a long time.'


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm so excited to get back on the saddle for this fanfic! So, while I was making this chapter, all I had going through my head is "why don't I just make them part of a student council?" And so now they'll be part of the student council. Btw, Touya doesn't know that Hikaru's a violin prodigy. He still thinks it's for Go so... That's a little annoying. But anyway, I hope you guys enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go.**

Chapter five: I didn't expect your… appearance.

"Hikaru! Let's take a picture!" Fujisaki Akari waved over a blond-banged boy. She was a pretty tall girl for someone her age. Either that or Shindou Hikaru was just short.

"Okay, okay." Akari lifted the disposable camera to take a selfie.

"Say cheese!" Click. Akari checked to see if the photo was good. She turned to show it to Hikaru only to realized he had already left. "Hikaru?" Akari started to worry. What if he had been abducted?! Knowing Hikaru's personality, he would probably go willingly with the abductor. "Hikaru!"

"Ah, is this one of your friends, Hikaru-san?" A boy (or were they a girl?) started to approach Akari. He had a gentle smile on his face, and his posture was impeccable. Hikaru followed behind him, muttering something about being "stalked". "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Touya Akira." He was a boy then. Touya offered his hand to her.

"Ah! I'm Fujisaki Akari. Where do you know Hikaru from?" Before Touya could answer, Hikaru cut in.

"We're both going to Kaiou next year. We met while touring the school grounds." Hikaru answered. He looked towards Touya, mouthing "I'll explain later".

"Yeah, that's right." Touya said. He turned towards the a big sign reading '6th Grade Graduation'.

"Well, Akari, we better be going. Didn't you want to go and play at an arcade, Touya?" Hikaru said, grabbing Touya's sleeve.

"An arcade? I thought we were-" Hikaru shushed him.

"Anyway Akari, we better be going!" Akari though Hikaru was acting strange but she decided to not say anything. After all, Hikaru was a very strange person.

-Summertime-

Sai insisted on playing as much Go as possible. Hikaru's recitals grew. Sai's internet persona grew, too. Soon Hikaru was being scouted by many musical _colleges_. He wasn't even 13 yet! All in all, it was a pretty eventful summer. They played Akira plenty of times (of course Sai didn't lose a single time) and ate plenty bowls of ramen.

Hikaru wouldn't admit it, but between his recitals and Go playing, spending time with Akira was probably the best thing of all.

-Fall, beginning of school-

Shindou Hikaru's day was not going well. He woke up too early, nervous about the next day. His mother had accidentally burned his food, so he ended up just eating toast, he just barely caught the morning train, and then he ran to Kaiou only to realize that he was early by a long shot. His eyes had bags under them, his uniform tie was most definitely not tied correctly, and he was beyond lost. Him and Touya had agreed to meet at the Go club after school, but in the meantime, he had to figure out where his class was. "Excuse me! Do you know where Class 1S is?" A skeptical looking black haired girl took in his appearance. Bleached blond bangs, a crooked tie, a mischievous smile. He was most definitely not the poster boy for Kaiou Junior High.

"Um, yeah, but why do you need to know?" The girl said, a look of disdain on her face. "Only the kids with scholarships are in that class."

"Uh, well, my schedule says to go there, and seeing as I have a scholarship, I assume that's my class." He shoved his schedule in her face. Looking sheepish, she pointed towards the west wing of the school.

"1S should be the last door on your right." Hikaru attempted to thank her (hey, he was angry, not rude) but she was already gone.

'Hikaru! That girl was so rude! She didn't even apologize!' Sai went off on a rant about how that wouldn't be accepted in his time. Hikaru simply rolled his eyes, too used to people assuming he's a delinquent. Everyone he passed in the hallway watched him with curious eyes, wondering why such an unkempt person is in Kaiou Junior High.

'It's to be expected, Sai. My bangs stand out, which is why I bleached them.'

Hikaru said as he entered the classroom. 1S was on a sign right outside the room. Looking around, he found himself being the centre of attention. Mumbling a "good morning" to everyone, Hikaru found himself a seat at the back of the classroom. At least there people won't stare at him.

"Hikaru-san?" A familiar voice brought Hikaru out of his thoughts.

"Akira! Man, it's good to see you!" Touya Akira stood in front of Hikaru, clutching a book full of what he assumed to be high level tsumegos*. Eyes drifting around the room, Touya sat down next to Hikaru.

"Why is it you always seem to attract attention everywhere you go?" Pulling out a blank notebook and a mechanical pencil, Touya turned to face him.

"I dunno, maybe it's the bleached blond bangs? Or the fact that I have no idea how to tie a tie?" Hikaru answered. Touya turned to look at his tie that was, indeed, tied incorrectly. Leaning into Hikaru's personal space, he re-tied the tie. When he backed away, he noticed that Hikaru's hands were covering his face. "Don't do that without a warning!"

"Sorry, Hikaru-san. But really, you need to figure out how to tie a tie. I can't just-" A stern looking woman entered the classroom, successfully silencing off all of the conversations littered around the room. She made her way to behind the desk in the middle of the classroom. He white dress shirt held no creases, and neither did her blazer. Her pencil skirt seemed to have no effect in hindering her movements. Dark blue eyes surveyed the class threateningly, as though saying "Don't cross me or you will regret it."

"Since I assume all of you in here are where you're supposed to be, then you all must be scholarship students. Kaiou chooses only the best prodigies in all fields we have, to ensure that you find the best programs for you area. My name is Shogakkin Kibishi. You will go around the room and introduce yourself, starting with the front row. State your name, age, and why you were picked for a scholarship. Starting with…" She pointed towards a meek looking boy in the front row. "You. Name, age, and scholarship. Go."

"Uh, my name's Ryori Chori. I'm in 7th grade and I have a scholarship for cooking." Shogakkin pointed to the next student, a boy who had unkempt brown hair tied back in a ponytail.

"Sakka Senshu. 7th. Football scholarship." This went on for awhile, everyone awkwardly standing up and introducing themselves. Couldn't the teacher had at least put in an ice breaker? A few people attempted to say more but were cut off with an icy glare from the teacher. The awkwardness just kept on growing, until it was Touya's turn to introduce himself.

"My name is Touya Akira. I'm in 7th grade and I have a scholarship for Go." Short and polite, just like him. Touya quietly sat down. Everyone's eyes turned to Hikaru, who was probably the most out of place person there.

"Shindou Hikaru. 7th grade. I have a scholarship for-" The teacher cut in, surprised.

"You're Shindou Hikaru?" He nodded. "I was told you'd be the most talented person here. I didn't expect your… " She took in his hair, "appearance."

"Not many people do." Sitting back down, everyone (not including Touya) looked at him enviously. Special treatment on the first day was very unfair, in their eyes at least.

"Now that we're done introducing ourselves, we should start on the lesson. Some of you may miss lessons, whether it be for recitals or competitions. You must check in with me to get your homework in advance. Kaiou's main goal is for you to go into the high school of your choosing with good grades. Is that understood?" Everyone nodded. "Good. Now today is the first day, so you won't receive homework. Everyone will gather in the main gym for an opening commencement from our principle. I expect perfect behavior from all of you, seeing as you will be in the front row, acting as examples for the other Kaiou students. In about a week I will choose six people to act as our student council. I expect no resistance. Is that all clear?" All of the class nodded, to scared to say a peep.

 **A/N: Please read and review! I seriously appreciate it! And if anyone could tell me how to upload pictures, I would appreciate it! Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry for not updating yesterday! I hope this makes up for it though. See the end for more of my random ideas/thoughts.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go.**

Chapter six: "I think you just made that guy hate my guts."

'Hey Sai, did I ever tell you about why I got my hair bleached?'

'No, you haven't! You should tell me!'

'Well, it all started when my mom said something about how I was the picture perfect boy any mother could ask for. Of course, all of the boys in my class heard about this and started to tease me about being a "momma's boy". Seeing as I was just in 2nd grade, I was mortally embarrassed. So I asked Akari for the extra bleach she had after dying her hair purple, and then I attempted to bleach my hair to show that I wasn't a momma's boy. Of course there wasn't enough to die my whole head, so I only bleached my bangs. Unfortunately, the press thought that it was cute and my mom wasn't even that mad.' Hikaru turned to face the night sky, the next day prominent in his mind.

'That seems like you, Hikaru.' Sai said, floating criss cross applesauce beside him. 'In my time, no one would even think of dying their hair such an outrageous colour.'

'Ne, Sai, what do you think of my teacher?'

'Well, in my opinion, I think that Shogakkin-san is very respectable. To be able to make a class quiet down so quickly is quite a feat.' Sai said. 'What do you think of her, Hikaru?'

'I don't know. She seems like the type of person who judges my appearance rather than my talent.'

'Well, Hikaru, I think you should get some sleep. Tomorrow's an important day, right? Shogakkin-san will be choosing who's on the student council.' Sighing at Sai's words, Hikaru rolled over to turn on a lamp by his bed.

'Sai, it's been awhile since I've played you. Would you like to play a game?' He knew he shouldn't stay awake. Something in his gut told him that tomorrow would be very stressful. Of course, Hikaru didn't listen.

'Really Hikaru? You wanna play a game! I haven't played with you for three years! Oh, Hikaru!' Seeing Sai so excited made Hikaru happy. He hadn't been able to play too many games, even during summer holidays, since Hikaru's teacher had begun to schedule even more recitals for him.

Hikaru slipped over to his closet, taking out a small magnetic Go board. It could barely be called that, with how much dust had accumulated. Blowing softly on the top, Hikaru set it down in the middle of his room. There wasn't much space in his room, most of it taken up by music sheets and various Go books that Sai had insisted on buying. 'I'll play white. You go first, Sai.' Opening his white fan, Sai pointed to _17-4, Upper Right Komoku._

Do you ever wake up and just have this feeling of absolute dread? As though your whole body's telling you that if you step outside your room, you will regret it?

Shindou Hikaru was have one of those days.

And yet here he was, sitting in his class, with Shogakkin-san standing tall at the front. In her hands were the list of who made it onto the student council. He could tell the three types of people in the room; people who wanted to be on the council, people who didn't want to be on the council, and then people who couldn't care less. Hikaru sincerely hoped he wasn't picked. Between satisfying the Heian ghost haunting him, playing the violin, and club activities, he was sure he wouldn't have enough time. Plus, weren't all student council people usually stuck-up? He really didn't want to be stuck in a room with them. Touya, on the other hand, was clearly excited. Apparently his father had said that it was a good opportunity to make new acquaintances. That was so Touya. "Good morning class."

"Good morning Shogakkin-sensei." They chorused back.

"I hold in my hands the six students who'll have the honour of being in Kaiou's student council. The president will, of course, be tasked with both maintaining school pride and deciding on important decisions. The vice president will sift through all of the requests and take out those they deem to be unneeded and unnecessary. They will also need to be by the president as much as possible. The secretary will be in charge of school events and broadcasts made by the Broadcasting Club. They'll be expected to come up with one big event every three months. The treasurer is, of course, in charge of the finances. Mind, whoever is the treasurer will be given a certain budget each month. It's your responsibility to spend it wisely. You have permission to cut any clubs or activities that isn't needed. The representative will be in charge of our school image. They'll be expected to have at least one school pride or public service project each year. And-yes, Ryori-kun?" The timid boy's hand was raised, making everyone's eyes turn to him. He seemed to fold into himself, as though to escape from everyone's stares.

"Um, sensei, if you're in the student council does that mean you can't be in any other club?"

"You can be in another club if you want to. Some of your scholarships require that you're in a certain club. That doesn't mean you have to attend every meeting. Moving on, the last position is student monitor. Their job is to handle any student affairs, such as student fights or student-led activities. Is that all clear?" Everyone's head nodded apprehensively. "Good. I will now list off who will be in the student council. Sakka Senshu will be acting as student monitor." The aforementioned boy seemed to sweat at that statement. "Ryori Chori will be the secretary."

"Sensei, are you sure? I don't think I'm really fit out to be-" He was cut off with a glare.

"No resistance, remember? Next is Utsukushi Tatakai. You'll be the representative." Utsukushi was probably the most beautiful person there, with her big hazel eyes and slick black hair. She was the picture girl of perfect. Of course, a lot of people wouldn't think that she was there on a kendo scholarship. "Kahei Soko will be the treasurer. I expect you to not go over the budget. Touya Akira will be vice president." That wasn't very surprising, seeing as Touya was very polite and a role model student. "And last but not least, Shindou Hikaru will be the student council president." Everyone's eyes turned to stare at Hikaru, who had been zoning out for the last ten minutes.

"Hold up, what?"

"Shindou doesn't even pay attention in class?!"

"Uh, sensei, are you sure about this?" Hikaru said, looking at Shogakkin with pleading eyes. "I mean, I'm not exactly role model material. Shouldn't someone like Akir-Touya be president?" Shogakkin shook her head dismissively.

"Nope. I have made up my mind. After class ends, I want all the student council members to show up in my class no later than 3:15. Now, onto the lesson…" Everyone's eyes left Hikaru, although he could still feel them glance every now and then at his back.

"Shindou Hikaru. Touya Akira. Kahei Soko. Utsukushi Tatakai. Ryori Chori. Sakka Senshu. I hope that you all realize how big a responsibility it is to be on the student council. Your first meeting will be tomorrow, during lunch break. I would like you to sort through the club registration forms, and decide how much money will be needed. I expect nothing but the best, is that clear?" Utsukushi raised her hand. "Yes?"

"Why was Shindou chosen? Wouldn't Touya be a better choice?" Everyone nodded in agreement, except for Touya.

"Personally, I think Shindou's a great choice." He said, smiling at Shogakkin.

"I have my reasons for choosing Shindou. I think it'll become clear to you all, including you, Shindou. Now, get going. I don't want to stay here any longer than I have to."

Mitani Yuki was a rascal by all means. Not only did he manage to cheat his way into winning bets, he also managed to fool them into playing another game. His favorite Go salon was obscure and it allowed betting, which was enough for Mitani. He was usually surrounded by old men who smoked, which wasn't something that his sister picked up on. Yet. So it was quite unusual when someone his age stepped in the Go salon, let alone someone from Kaiou Junior High. This guy was bound to be loaded. "Hey, you wanna play a game?" Mitani asked, making his way over to the blond-banged boy.

"Sure. How much is the entrance fee?"

"500 yen." The old man at the counter answered. Even after coming here for at least a year, Mitani still didn't know his name.

"How much you wanna bet?" The boy looked shocked at his words. Snickering a bit, Mitani continue. "I only play for money." Looking uneasy, the boy sat down across him nonetheless.

"Um, how much do you usually bet?" He asked, opening the his goke*.

"5,000 yen." The boy didn't even flinch at the cost, which was strange, seeing as even old men flinched at his bet. Then again, this was a very strange boy. Not only was he in a sketchy Go salon, he also agreed to a pretty big sum of money. It's either he's one of those Go fanatics, or he's desperate for money, like Mitani.

"Okay. But if I win I don't want the 5,000." Mitani was skeptical. Who didn't want to earn a little extra money. Oh well, either way he didn't lose anything.

"Alright. Nigiri." Mitani won black, and the game begun.

"I...resign." Mitani's head was lowered over the goban, eyes wide with disbelief. Not only were his black clusters nearly all dead, he hadn't managed to solidify a single part of the board, even though it was near the end of chuugen*. Even his cheating couldn't bring his score up. His eyes trailed up to the boy in front of him, who smiling softly. "Who… are you?" He asked.

"I'm Shindou Hikaru." Shindou Hikaru. This wasn't a game of someone who's smiling so unassumingly at him. No. This was the game of a monster. "This was a nice game. What's your name?" He didn't want to tell this monster his name. But something told him to do it anyway.

"Mitani Yuki."

"Well, Mitani-kun, it was a pleasure to play with you. Although, next time, I'd like to play without your cheating."

'Hey, Sai, did you really need to beat him so badly?'

'He disgraced Go's sacred name by cheating! I was going to go easy, but I couldn't accept that!' Hikaru rolled his eyes, and turned to look out the window of the train.

'Well, I just hope that next time you'll do it so that I won't lose 5,000 yen, rather than protecting the sacred name of Go. And also, I think you just made that guy hate my guts.'

 **A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for reading till the end!**

 **Now, I've heard about how some people think that Sai's kind of being selfish. Which I totally agree. See, in the actual story, Sai always seemed to only want to play Go, even if Hikaru wanted to go play. Don't get me wrong, I love Sai, but I always thought that Hikaru wouldn't have been even remotely interested in Go if Sai hadn't been there to push it onto him.**

 **Enough of that. I wanted to know if you guys are bummed out with the lack of violin playing? I kind of am. I'm hoping that the next update has more violin playing, and more student council stuff.**

 **Btw, do you guys agree with Shogakkin's decision to make Shindou president? I was smiling maliciously as I wrote that. I think my mom thinks I'm crazy.**

 **Akira still doesn't know Hikaru is a violin prodigy! Ugh, so frustrating.**

 **I really wanted to put Waya in this chapter (he's one of my favorite character's) but I didn't figure out how! I love Mitani too, so I guess it's fine.**

 **Okay, so I'm hoping to have Hikaru encounter more Go pros, and possibly encounter Touya Kouyo (no promises though).**

 **I just have too many ideas for this fic! I really want to make a fem!idol!Hikaru au. Idk. Maybe he'll be scouted in this fic, or maybe not.**

 **Anyway, please leave a comment if you liked!**

 **Or don't, that's okay.**

 ***goke - The wooden bowls that hold Yunzi (Go) stones.**

 ***chuugen - Middle game phase.**


	7. Omake

**A/N: So I just felt like writing a small little Touya x Hikaru thing. I hope you enjoy :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go**

Touya stared down at the sleeping figure of Shindou Hikaru.

He was _not_ prepared for this.

Taking in a deep breath, he fiddled with the tie of his uniform, slipping it off of his neck and onto the doorknob. He shut the door slowly, as to not wake the sleeping boy. Setting down the small bag, he sat down at the only other place to sit; his desk. He shook off the blazer, carefully wrapping it around the back of the chair. Honestly, Touya didn't know how this had happened. Only half an hour ago had they been arguing over a game, and yet here they were, in Touya's room, one asleep and the other seriously contemplating death. He might as well finish his homework before he died, out the assignments, Touya tapped his pencil on the desk.

 _Tap, tap, tap._

 _Tap, tap, tap._

 _Tap, tap,_ "Can you _please_ stop with the tapping?" Hikaru had woken up, and was blearily rubbing his eyes. "I think it's giving me a migraine." Touya rolled his eyes.

"Your underage drinking is giving you a migraine. Honestly, what were you thinking?" Hikaru grimaced.

"It was worth it at the time." Pouting he rolled over to make space on the bed. "Come sit next to me! I'm bored." Sighing, Touya made his way over to his bed. Hikaru grabbed a random book off of the ground. " 'Touya Meijin's Beginner's Guide.' Huh. You know, I once wanted to win this at a school culture festival, but then someone ruined it before I got the chance."

"Oh, really? Why don't you keep it then. It's not like I really need it." Touya said, laying down on the bed.

"Right, you can just get the information right from the source." Flipping to the first chapter, Hikaru began to read. ' _Go is a complex game, that can take years, sometime even lifetimes, to really understand. There are four main goals in Go; Protect your stones, gain territory, take away your opponent's territory, and attack your opponent's stones. Generally, whoever wins a Go match is thought to have better balance of these four goals, and is therefore-'_

"Touya! Are you finally getting laid?" Waya Yoshitaka busted through the door, a Kaiou High School tie clutched in his hand. He took in the two boys on the bed; one a bright red and the other looking at him curiously.

"Akira, why didn't you tell me we were having sex? I would have put my book down."


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: I can't tell if this is longer or shorter than the last chapter, lol.**

 **Okay, so there was some questions that I wanna clear up.**

 **1\. Hikaru didn't give the 5,000 yen to Mitani last chapter. I guess I just phrased it poorly.**

 **2\. Hikaru will learn how to play Go. In fact, he already knows! He's just too preoccupied by violin rn. Sai has played games, just not against Hikaru.**

 **3\. With the way Kaiou works in this fic, scholarship students each signed a contract with the school that states that if the teacher wishes for them to participate in something school-oriented, they must agree. Being on the student council is very good for high school resumes too.**

 **I hope that clears up any confusion! Feel free to ask anything else!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go.**

Chapter seven: "My name is Touya Kouyou."

"Uh, should we maybe… begin the meeting guys?" Ryori Chori looked at the five other people in the room. Two were arguing over whether ramen or Go was better, and the other three were on their phones, probably on social media. "I mean, Shogakkin-sensei expects us to work together, right?" Utsukushi rolled her eyes.

"We just have to get those club forms rejected or accepted, right? And then Kahei has to figure out the budget. It shouldn't be that hard." Utsukushi said, taking out a nail file from her bag. Shindou sighed, and went to stand at the head of the table.

"Well, I guess since I'm president I should get you guys to do stuff, right?" Ryori sighed in relief. Thank goodness, someone finally took charge! "Utsukushi and Sakka, you two look through the club registrations. If you find any that don't have more than five members, get rid of them." Utsukushi scoffed, but went over to the club forms anyway. Sakka followed, twirling his ponytail absentmindedly. "Kahei, how much money did Shogakkin-sensei give you?" Putting away her phone, Kahei checked the envelope.

"Uh… 50,000 yen for this month." She answered, stuffing the notes back into the letter. "But she told me to leave out 5,000 yen for snacks."

"Oh, heck yes! Ooh, I take back everything I said about Shogakkin-sensei, she rules!" Sakka exclaimed behind the pile of club forms.

"Ryori, if you could write down that number for future reference. Also, Touya, please help Kahei out. I don't think she knows how to budget."

Hikaru walked out of Kaiou with a sigh. Today had been a hard day. Not only was it the first day of student council activities, Touya had also insisted on playing a game of Go before leaving. By now it was around 5 pm, and only teachers were left in the school. Hikaru walked towards the entrance, conversing with Sai. 'Sai, what did you think of the student council members?' Hikaru asked, yawning loudly.

'I think that Ryori-san is very respectable. I don't know how I feel about all of the other members, though.' Sai answered. 'But anyway, Hikaru, when can we play Go again!' Laughing softly as Sai, Hikaru pulled out his phone.

'Actually, I took a picture of a Go event. I was thinking you might want to stop by it. I already told my mom, so we have all afternoon.' Scrolling through his pictures, Hikaru's eye caught on something. 'Here it is. Apparently, Touya Meijin is supposed to be there. You know, the strongest player in Japan?' Sai squealed.

'Oh, Hikaru! Hurry!' Laughing, Hikaru sped up his pace just a bit.

It didn't take very long to get to the train station. Swiping his card, Hikaru stepped onto the platform. The person on the intercom said the train would just be arriving. 'Hey, Sai, you've been awfully quiet. What's wrong?' Sai sighed.

'Hikaru, I just… you've done so much for me, but I can't do anything for you! You should tell me if there's anything you need help with.' Hikaru smiled softly, which must've been creepy to everyone around him.

'I don't need anything.' He said. They sat in silence until the train arrived. People piled in, Hikaru snagging a seat only to offer it to an older looking man in a traditional garment.

"Why, thank you, young boy." He said, sitting down on the seat. "Might I ask where you're going? You seem very excited."

"I'm actually going to a Go event. Do you play Go, sir?" Hikaru held onto a bar above his head. Whether the man was surprised at his answer or his question, Hikaru couldn't tell. After recovering, the man chuckled slightly.

"It's rare for people your age to be interested in Go." He finally said, adjusting one of his sleeves. "And I do play Go." Sai excitedly told him to ask how strong he was.

"Really? How strong are you?" Hikaru asked, briefly glancing at Sai. His expression seemed to be very serious.

'Hikaru, this man has a very strong aura. Ask him for a game.' Hikaru nearly whipped his head over to where Sai was, surprised by his sudden request. But he resisted the urge, and instead waited for the man's answer.

"I like to think I am quite strong." The man said. Gulping, Hikaru asked Sai's question.

"Do you wanna play a game?" The man didn't seem too surprised by his request. In fact, if anything, he seemed to expect it.

"Sure. I have a little time. My name is Touya Kouyou." He held his hand for Hikaru to shake.

"Hikaru Shindou." As he shook Kouyou's hand, he thought of how Touya's last name was the same.

After watching years of Sai play Go games, this was by far the closest Hikaru had ever seen him to losing. It was constantly even, each cluster being carefully fought over. Sai was deep in thought, thinking over each move carefully. With each click of Go stones on the goban*, the tension thickened. The end of yose* finally came. They began counting territory. _1, 2, 3…_ Even after years of being with Sai, Hikaru still couldn't figure out a fast way to count territory. _35, 36, 37…_ "Touya-sensei!" A blond-haired man stepped into the room. His mouth was curled around a lit cigarette, and his suit was crisp and white. He looked like a foreigner, if not for the fact that he spoke fluent japanese. "This is where you were! You're going to be late-Who is this?" The mysterious man turned to Hikaru.

"This is Shindou Hikaru. Shindou Hikaru, meet Ogata Seiji. Lucky for us, our game has just finished." Kouyou said, rising from his seat. Ogata glanced at him once more before leaving. Kouyou hesitated in the doorway, before going, "You are very good, Shindou. Where did you learn Go?" Hikaru scratched his head awkwardly.

"Uh, an old friend taught me." He lied, looking anywhere other than Kouyou's cold eyes.

"Well, regardless of where you learned, you play past your years." He said. And with that, Touya Kouyou left, leaving Hikaru with a Go board and very mixed feelings.

"Who was that boy, Touya-sensei?" Ogata had decided to nag the meijin until he caved and told him who that boy was. "And why were you playing him?" Touya only smiled.

"He's simply a boy I met on the train ride here. He offered me his seat, we talked for a bit, and then we played a game. That's all there is to it." Ogata admired Touya's Go abilities, but sometimes, he wished that he could be a bit more direct.

"Yes, but why did you _accept_?" Touya didn't answer immediately. Instead, he opted to drift into his own mind, replaying the game he had just played.

The boy was beyond talented, he was a genius. Not only did he play beyond his years, he managed to stay on the same level- _no._ He managed to _beat_ the current meijin. He wished he could've done something, like ask for a rematch, or if he was planning on becoming a pro. All Touya knew was that his name was Shindou Hikaru, he planned on going to the Go Associations event, and he had managed to catch the eye of one of the greatest Go players of all time.

'Sai, we better hurry, the event will start soon!' Hikaru said, cursing the busy streets of Tokyo. Why did it have to be so crowded?!

'Hikaru.' Sai was unusually silent, looking into Hikaru's eyes with such seriousness. 'That man… I must play him again.' Hikaru didn't know why, but he felt as though Sai wasn't just asking, he was yearning to play Touya Kouyou again. Of course, Hikaru nodded.

'He was very strong. I've never seen anyone match your skill!'

'It's not just that, Hikaru.' Sai grabbed Hikaru's shoulder, stopping him from moving. 'I think…that man might be the key to finding the Hand of God.' Hikaru gasped lightly. The Hand of God is what Sai believed to be why the gods let him stay on the earth. It was a move that was believed to be the best game of Go ever played. 'I suspected it when we met him, but Touya… he's my key to finding the Divine Move.' Hikaru began walking again, being urged by the crowd surrounding him.

'If he's the key to the Divine Move, does that mean once you find it… that you'll leave?' The question was unexpected, and Sai struggled to answer. Though, as he opened his mouth, a hand grabbed Hikaru from behind.

'Jeez, if this is Touya, I'm gonna…' Hikaru turned. "Mitani?" An out of breath, in full Haze garm, Mitani Yuki was in front of Shindou Hikaru.

"Th… there's a guy, he's chasing me. I cheated him out of his money, and he wants it back…" Mitani wheezed.

 **I hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading! Leave a comment if you liked.**

 **Or don't, that's fine too!**

 ***goban - A Go board.**

 ***yose - The end game phase in Go.**


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: Sorry if this chapter feels rushed in any way! I really wanted to just finish it, so I kinda threw a bunch of stuff in. But I hope you guys enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go.**

Chapter 8: "We're training for the pro exam."

Mitani had been playing Go for more than three years, most of which were spent in sketchy Go salons betting on the outcome of the game. He learned quickly that cheating was not below anyone in there, and he had spent a whole month losing more than he was winning. After watching a game between one of the salon's best players, he realized that he'd have to cheat to win. So he observed, and learned how to gain territory when rearranging and how to add stones to his prison*. It had worked out for more than two years, and it kept a steady income which he quickly deposited into his bank account. He should have been expecting it to backfire soon, but Mitani had convinced himself no one else could beat him when he cheated.

Oh, how wrong he was.

It started off as usual, Mitani and his opponent exchanging hands. But as they neared middle game, Mitani was losing. Badly. It was obvious, each cluster being secure by his opponent. It was too perfect, being in control this early in the game. Not even Shindou Hikaru had beat him this badly. His eyes had blinked back tears. He was about to lose 10,000 yen. Taking a deep breath, he set down his stone. In the blink of an eye, Mitani jumped from his chair, grabbed the 10,000 yen notes, and fled the scene. He didn't take into account that maybe, just maybe, the old geezer knew how to run.

Hikaru was just about ready to stop roaming the streets of Tokyo. Maybe he should consider buying a bike? At least then no one could catch up to him to grab him by the shoulder. Or perhaps he should consider dying his hair a more natural colour. But he did love his blond bangs. Well, maybe it's for the best. Maybe this is the only way that Sai could get games. But Hikaru wished that there was a less random encounter vibe to it. "Mitani?"

"Th… there's a guy, he's chasing me. I cheated him out of his money, and he wants it back…" He cheated a guy out of his money? Of course he'd want it back! Sighing, Hikaru took in his pitiful sight. It was obvious that he had ran from somewhere in a real hurry, since his coat was hastily thrown onto his shoulders.

'Sai, what should we do?' Sai contemplated for a bit. He was obviously mad at Mitani for taking the other guy's money, but what if the man tried to hurt him?

'Hikaru. Let me play this man.' Hikaru nodded, forgetting for a moment that he was in public.

"So you'll help me?" Mitani asked desperately. Behind him, an old man was pushing through the crowd, shouting curse words left and right. He managed to grab onto Mitani, and spin him around. Mitani's face soon had a red mark left from a punch.

"Oi! Old man!" The guy turned around, eyes filled with anger. Mitani clutched his face, eyes wide in shock. Sai was floating next to him, barely holding his composure together. "I'll bet you triple what Mitani took! But if I win, you've gotta forget about all of this." The man let go of Mitani's jacket in favor of standing right in front of Hikaru. He was at least a whole foot, maybe a foot and a half taller than Hikaru. But he didn't stand down.

"Hah? Fine, but if you lose, you better be ready to pay up." Oh, Sai better not lose, or else Hikaru was in serious trouble with his parents.

"You're on, old man." The old man held onto the scruff of his shirt to make sure that he didn't run away. Mitani was nowhere to be seen.

Waya Yoshitaka and Isumi Shinichiro stepped into a shady Go salon, the person behind the desk only sparing them a glance and the entrance fee amount. Forking over the 500 yen, Waya and Isumi looked for a place to test their skills. "Hey, do you have any good players? We're training for the pro exam." Waya said, talking to the least sketchy person there. They were a brown haired man in a suit, but he seemed to be the closest in age. Which wasn't saying much.

"Pro exam? You'll have no luck here unless you wanna bet." He said, lighting a cigarette. "But maybe you can rope that blond banged kid over there into a game." He pointed to a boy sitting in front of one of the many Go boards. The person across from him was probably the most sketchy looking person there, with a big beer belly, a lit cigarette, and a malicious smirk. He was at least twice the size of the boy.

"Waya, I don't think this is a good idea. We should've just gone to a different one." Isumi whispered as they made their way over to the kid.

"Lighten up Isumi. Besides, if he wants to bet we can just decline." Waya said. As they approached the table, Isumi and Waya's vision of the board became clearer. It was very one-sided, and it was clear that black should've resigned by then. It was either the boy was ridiculously good, or ridiculously bad.

"I… I resign." The boy didn't even seem to be happy. If anything he looked relieved. The old man was shell shocked, eyes still on the Go board.

"Hey, kid, you wanna play? We're inseis, and we wanna practice for the pro exam." The boy turned around, and they were met with bright green emerald eyes.

"Sure, but I think we should go find another Go board." The strange boy said. So they moved over to the far side of the room. "My name's Shindou Hikaru." He held out his hand for them to shake.

"My name's Isumi Shinichiro, and this is Waya Yoshitaka." Isumi clutched Hikaru's hand in his own. "Nigiri?" Shindou placed a handful of white stones on the board. And so the game begun.

Sai seemed very impressed by the kid Hikaru was playing. He kept on saying how if he was very good, and that he's not nearly as good as Kouyou, but he was still a nice opponent. 'It's about playing the game, not necessarily about winning.' He had once told him as they laid awake in the night. Hikaru hadn't understood it then, and he didn't understand it now. "I resign." Hikaru looked up at Isumi, no sign of shock on his face. "You… are you going to take the pro exam this year?" What is it with Go players and taking pro exams? I mean, sure, they do make a lot of money, but…

"I'm not really interested in being a Go pro." He stated bluntly. "And also, you said something about being inseis. What are inseis?" Waya and Isumi were speechless.

"You mean, you're this good, and you don't want to be a pro?" Isumi asked, still staring at their just finished game.

"You don't know what inseis are?!" Waya said, staring skeptically at Hikaru.

"No, I don't know what inseis are. And I don't see the need to become a Go pro when I'm already-" Waya cut in, still confused as to how someone who played Go didn't know what an insei was.

"Ugh! Why is he this good when he doesn't even know what inseis are?!" Waya screeched.

'Why, thank you Waya. I take great pride in my abilities as a Go player.' Sai said.

"Well, excuse me, Mr. Insei." Hikaru snapped. He was so sick of people not telling him stuff!

"Waya, calm down. Anyway, inseis are Go players training to become Go pros." Isumi explained. Ah, that makes sense.

"Well, that sounds fun and all, but I better be going. I don't want my mom to worry!" Hikaru laughed awkwardly. He suddenly felt like Waya and Isumi were going to try and rope him into being a Go pro, like Akira had tried doing.

"Wait! Can we at least exchange phone numbers?" Waya asked, just a second too late. Hikaru was already out the door, hoping that he wasn't grabbed by the shoulder yet again.

Ogata Seiji was browsing NetGo, searching for anyone who looked interesting. His teaching game had just finished, and he had a few hours to kill. His eyes landed on the player 'Sai'. His rank was put as 5 kyu, almost a 1 dan. This was the player that the other pros were talking about? Apparently people were saying how strong he was. Maybe it's just a coincidence. Well, he might as well try and see how it goes. If worse comes to worse, he could always just force a resignation from 'Sai'.

 **Seiji challenges Sai to a game. Time: 2.5 hours. Komi: 5.5 moku.**

 **Sai accepts.**


End file.
